Frame for laundered shirts



June 7, 1960 M. s. STRASSER I FRAME FOR LAUNDERED SHIRTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. :50, 1955 I, v F 6 June 7, 1960 Filed Nov. 30, 1955 M. S. STRASSER FRAl/[E FQR LAUNDERED SHIRTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L?- 5 F-e iii/0 INVENTOR.

/7yran c5: 'irasser FRAME FOR LAUNDERED SHIRTS Filed Nov. 30, 1955, Ser. No. 550,096

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-7) My invention relates to packaging and particularly to improvements in the packaging of laundered shirts for delivery to the customer. At the present time laundered shirts are sometimes laterally enclosed in a paperboard frame, and. the frame, with the shirts therein, is enclosed in a bag or other container. The paperboard is extremely flexible and it frequently happens that the shirts are damaged, or at least wrinkled, by the flexure of the sides of the frame. Furthermore, the frames offer little resistance to crushing or bending.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a frame for laundered shirts which will have the sides thereof substantially resistant to fiexure and also re sistant to crushing or deformation. I accomplish these objects by the means described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a perspective view of my frame having shirts therein shown in broken outline;

Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. l in the plane 2-2;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 2 but illustrating a slight modification of the invention;

Fig. 4 is an elevation view to a smaller scale of a frame in flat folded condition;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a preferred form of my frame in flat folded condition;

Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 5 in the plane 6-6;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modification;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 5 showing a further modification; V

Fig. 9 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 showing my preferred form of frame which is shown in folded condition in Figs. 5 and 6; and

Figs. 10, ll, 12 and 13 are fragmentary small scale elevation views of a frame which is resistant to crushing or deformation due to vertical pressure thereon.

Referring to the drawings, my frame is preferably a rectangular structure but it may be in separate sections, and is formed from a strip of paperboard, having sides 1 and 2 and ends 3 and 4. It is provided with the usual transverse scores between the sides and ends so it may be folded flat.

Thus, in order to reenforce the sides and ends of the frame against flexure, they may be provided with a longitudinally extending, pressed-out rib 5 adjacent the top, and a similar rib 6 adjacent the bottom. These ribs, as shown in Figs. 1-4, may be readily formed in the paperboard while it is in the form of a strip and before it is bent into the form of a frame by passing the strip between suitable rolls. Instead of striking the ribs outwardly they may be struck inwardly, as shown'at 7 and 8 in Fig. 3.

However, l prefer first to form the corner scores, so that the strip may be bent into the form of a frame, then fold it, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 7 and 8, and pass it betates Patent "ice tween suitable rolls. In this case one side 9 and one end 10 of the frame will have their ribs pressed inwardly, as best shown at 11 and 12 in Figs. 5 and 9, and the other side 13 and end 14 will have their ribs pressed outwardly, as shown at 15 and 16 in Fig. 9. While I prefer to secure the ends of the strip together, this is not necessary. By forming the ribs in this way the frames, when folded flat may be laid together to form a package for shipment which is very much smaller than is the case where all of the ribs are struck outwardly, because the ribs on two adjacent sides of each frame nest with the ribs on the other two sides, and the ribs on each frame nest with the ribs on the next adjacent frames. Where all the ribs are struck outwardly and the frames are piled together for shipment, the ribs on each frame become merely tangent to the ribs on the next adjacent frame so that the plane portions of said frames are spaced apart a substantial distance.

The ribs need not be straight but may have almost any longitudinal configuration, as shown, for example, at 17 in Figs. 7 and 8. The frame at its edges olfers the least resistance to fiexnre and deformation, and hence I prefer to have reenforcing ribs adjacent the edges. Where the frames, when in use, will be subjected to vertical loads, transversely extending reenforcing ribs may be formed therein as shown in Figs. 10, l1, l2 and 13; the pref-erred type and spacing of the ribs being as shown in Fig. 11. Here, the ribs may be considered as inclined to the top and bottom edges of the frame and being so spaced that the top of each rib, or at least a part thereof, is vertically over the bottom of the next adjacent rib.

What I claim is:

1. A substantially rectangular frame formed of paperboard and of a size adapted laterally to enclose at least one laundered shirt; said frame having transversely extending scores in the corners thereof, whereby it may be folded flat, and having at least one longitudinally extending stiffening rib in each side thereof and integral therewith; said ribs in two adjacent sides of said frame projecting outwandly therefrom, and, in the other two sides projecting inwardly therefrom and positioned to nest with said outwardly projecting ribs when said frame is folded fiat.

2. Those steps in the method of making from a strip of paperboard a substantially rectangular frame of a size adapted laterally to enclose at least one laundered shirt which comprise, transversely scoring said strip where it will be bent to form the corners of said frame; holding said strip flat with the portions adapted to form two adjacent sides of said frame overlying those portions thereof adapted to form the other two sides of said frame; and thereafter subjecting said folded strip to deforming pressure along at least one longitudinally extending zone thereof to form inwardly, projecting reenforcing ribs in those zones thereof adapted to formtwo adjacent sides of said frame which will be nested with simultaneously formed, outwardly projecting ribs in the zones thereof adapted to form the other two sides of said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 903,555 Ferres Nov. 10, 1908 1,692,410 Jones Nov. 20, 1928 1,755,688 Benoit Apr. 22, 1930 1,996,453 Brock Apr. 2, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 618,644 France Dec. 20, 1926 332,713 Great Britain July 31, 1930 

